Flexible pipe joint



Jan. 13, 1942. ALLEN ETAL 2,269,431

FLEXIBLE PIPE JOINT Filed Feb. 7, 1940 a4- 76 4 3 62 69 l d INVENTOR. FRANK M. ALLEN BY CLYDE B. TAYLOR ATTORNEY.

Anaheim, calm. assltnomto The Au-me:

Cor-

poration, Los Angeles, Calit, a corporation of Californiaa v i I Application February 7, 94o,s riai No. art- 4 This invention relates to pipe joints or coup-y lings,'and more particularly to couplings of such a nature that they permit relative motion between the-pipes or other conduits which they serve to intercomiectand yet establish a sumeiently tight seal between the conduits to prevent the escape of whatever material the conduits a may contain in-spite of a material pressure differential inside and outside the condulta- An object of our invention is to improve upon "swing join as they are known inthe trade, to

-. the extent that they may be relied. upon to conduct such diflicult fluids to confine as super-- heated steam or ethyl fluid, without escape be tween the sections of the coupling',and. yet without' restricting freedom of movement of the coupling sections with respect toeach other, i.. e., I

without impairing the flexibility of the joint.-

accordingly inexpensive produce, and which vare quite rugged and therefore capable of stand known types of flexible conduit couplings, or

- ing up under The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, someof which, with the foregoing, will be set fol-thin the following dehard usage and over long periods 'scription of the preferredforms of our invention 7 illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forminga portion of the-'-'speci flcation. It is to be understood that'we do not limitourselves to the' showing made by the said drawing and deiscription, as we may adopt variations of; the preas set forth in the claims.

ferred. forms within the scope Referring tothe drawing: Figure 1 is a view illustrating one manner of employing swing joints of the typeto which those of our invention belong, in forming a fieri- 'A more detailed object .of the present inven-. Q ble pipe line.

tion is to provide, in a flexible pipe joint, a novel type of packing member, comprising/a pair of elements, one -of which is of a'fluid nature, or

' relatively so, with the result that. it makes exceedingly intimate contact with thewalls of the two opposed relatively movable members be- .tween which it is the functionpf the packing to prevent 'leakage, and the otherofwhich serves primarily as a mechanical support for the fluid packing element, retaining the latter against escape fr'om thechamber or recess provided in one or both of the walls for the retention of the packing member. v

A still more detailed object in this connection is the provision, in a flexible pipe joint of the character indicated, of a packing member in'the form of the fluid packing element and the sup-' portingelement already referred to, and an ad ditional relatively non-fluid packing element on the opposite side of the fluid element from the first mentioned supporting element, the relatively fluid element being confined between 'opposed supporting elements, each of which not; only serves to confine the. fluid element, but' also contributes to the total sealing efliciency of the packing by co-op'erating with the 'fluid inestabwallsof the movable mem- "ricant supplied to the balls 69. p p

In the swivels of the joint of Figure 2 the me- 50 cha'nical packing annuli 19 and 8| are of the same lishing a seal with the bers. 1

It is a further object oLour invention to pro.

- vide an improved type of flexible pipe joint, and

highly efilcieiit packing means therefor, which:

"in 'spite of their-ability to conduct fluid mater ials difficult or impossible to confine by known packings lathigh pressures and high temper- Figure 2 is an enlarged view,partly in, side'elevati'on and partlyin medial section, of one form of swing joint embodyingthe, principles of the present invention. The joint here illustrated is of the type known in the trade as' the 3-way swivel" coupling. n Figure 2 illustrates a preferred embodiment of our invention whichvis in the form of a 3-way swing joint inasmuch as it is provided with three separate swivels I6, 61, and 68, respectively.

'Each of these swivels is retained in assembled relation through the expedient of ball bearings 69 which are disposed in complementary and alignedgrooves II and 12 in the opposed walls vof the male and female members 13 and I4 respectively which they are intended to interconnect. Hence, these balls 59 serve the double function of providing the anti-friction means between the relatively movable sections of the 40 joint and also as the mechanical means for'locking the sections together. 7 c

It -is preferred that a fitting l5 be'provided communicating with ,the grooves 'II and 12 of each swivel to facilitate the ready introduction of oil or grease to the balls 69; and each swivel also i carries a pressure-relief .valve'li so as to prevent development of excessive pressures upon the lubdiameter and they are disposed side by side concentric with the bores of the pipe sections be- 7 tween which they are 'relied upon to prevent leakage. similarly, the'spa'cing annulus 'I'l relied atures, are relatively simple iii-construction and upon to retain .the two mechanical packers in of our invention tion par'allelto the shoreline.

2 spaced relationship is of substantially thisjsame diameter. Eachot these spacing annuli I! is oi materiallyless cross-sectional area than the I space 18 between the mechanical packing annuli 18 and 8! so as to provide a space.or reservoir for the reception of the fluid sealing means which forms one of the elements oi the packrior each,

of the swivels. I In each instance in the joint of' Figure 2 the metal spacing annulus seats against a shoulder-82, 83,14; respectively, formed. on

the outer circumferences or the cylindrical end of the male element oi the swivel to limit the distanceithat the spacing annuIus'can be pushed by the inner mechanical packer when pressurejis' imposed upon thelatter '11 cm the fluid being con,-

ducted by the joint. In this'manne'r interference.

with free operation of'thevouter packer by the inner is definitely prevented.

As one example of the many types of service to which our coupling is adaptable advantageous- 1y,the coupling of Figure} is'illustrated at 98, 91,

v -azeaaer a We claim:

=5 1 1. In a. swivel pipecoupling of the character described, male and female pipe elements in cooperative relation, anti-friction means intercon- "necting said male and female elements ior relative rotation, and packing means betweensaid male and female elements comprising a pair oi packers dispose pipe elements, andseparate means upon said within a recess between said male pipe element individually suppor'tingeach of said packers and comprising a shoulder supflpor-ting the outermost otsaid packers and a removable vflange supporting the innermost oi said packers, said flange leaving a space be- ;tween said packers for fluid sealing means.

2. In aswivel. pipe coupling of the character 5 described, male and female pipe elements in cooperative relation, anti-friction means interconand 98. in Figure 1* as being operatively installed in a pipe line 92 utilized for conveying oil from a dock 98 to a vesselan'chored 'oflshore.-

Installed in the-manner illustrated, the cou 'plings 96, 91 and 98 introduce flexibility to the pipe line, and thereby permit ireedom'of movement of the offshore end oi! the line in order to 1 enable it to accommodateitselfto such move- .ments as. may arise from rising andialling of the vessel with the tides,vrolling and-pitching with the wavesrvariation in the actual distance fleeting said male and'i'emale elements forrelative rotation, packing means between said-:male and femalefelements comprising a pair of packers disposed within 'arecess between saidpipe elements, and separate means upon said male pipe element individually supporting each '0! said packers and comprising a shoulder support ing the outermost of said packers and a removable fla e supporting the' innermost of said packers, aid flange comprising a central body portion and a face engaging said male pipe eleof the outer end or the line from the shone, and

even a limited amount or movement in a direc- 

